For the next couple of months everyone's eyes are on the Rugby World Cup being played in Japan.

I have been told it’s a wonderful place that I myself haven't been to, but it’s certainly somewhere I would love to go to, mainly for the food! Japanese cuisine is steeped in history and culture.

Miso is a seasoning product that's heavily used in Japanese cuisine. It’s made with fermented soybeans, salt, koji (fungus) and sometimes rice and seaweed. I haven't found many ingredients that date back as far as miso, with manufacturing dating back to 300 BC.

Miso has that special fifth element of flavour called umami which is salty, sweet, earthy, fruity and savoury. I tend to use it in so many dishes to just boost the flavours, like dressings and gravies.

Miso is a part of many Japanese-style meals, it commonly appears as the main ingredient of miso soup, which is eaten daily by much of the Japanese population, paired with plain rice.

So with the Rugby World Cup being played at night, miso soup is the perfect late night dish to be eaten whilst watching the game as its fast and really tasty!

Mike’s basic miso soup

Serves two supporters

1 chicken breast, skin removed and sliced into strips
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 head of boy choy, chopped
2 strips of spring onions, chopped
1 block of tofu, cut into small cubes
1 sheet of seaweed, sliced into strips (nori is the best and commonly found)
3-4 tbsp miso paste

Place the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer.

Add nori and chicken, simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the miso, greens and tofu and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Taste and add more miso if required.

Serve warm. Best when fresh!

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